Have you had experience with a family member or loved one with dementia? What was/is that experience like?

Book Clubs The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Discussion
21

My mother had dementia and it was hard watching the woman who had taken care of me have to be taken care of. Watching her world get smaller and smaller as she no longer had the capacity to interact well with others.

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22

Unfortunately I have. My grandmother had dementia. She passed away last year, but I always say that I lost my grandma many years ago because the woman who died last year was no longer the grandmother I knew. The progression is horrible to watch. She really struggled with keeping me and my daughter (who is 10) straight. Her last Christmas she gave me a $100 bill and told me it was for my college fund - I didnā€™t even try to explain to her that I had graduated college 16 years earlier. She also got down right mean, she never attempted to hit anyone, but we were all expecting it to happen. Itā€™s truly a horrible disease.

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23

It is a horrible disease for the patient and the caregivers. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those dealing with this and all other diseases.

24

Most recently, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. The symptoms started slowly. Then, she started experiencing hallucinations where she would see people and talk to them. My father-in-law would get frustrated and yell at her. It was heartbreaking for my husband in particular to see his parents both deteriorating so quickly.
I made the decision to learn how to speak -dementiaā€™ so she didnā€™t get upset. Yes, (long deceased) Uncle Fred will be here for Thanksgiving. The woman with the baby went to change him. When she passed away last summer, it was like losing her twice.

25

I lost my best friend to the dreaded disease. We had often talked about when we retired what we would seek to do together. That never happened, her last few years she did know who I was and that really hurt. I miss her terribly. We went through so many years together as young brides, mothers, grandmothers and then it happened. I never thought it would happen to her, but then this disease does not play favorites. It plays such havoc on the victim but also family and friends.